The reason Council Bluffs and Omaha are part of the United States today is because of the Louisiana Purchase in 1803. This was the land deal that President Thomas Jefferson made with Napoleon Bonaparte of France to purchase over 800,000 sq. mi. of territory from the Mississippi River to the Rocky Mountains, including Nebraska and Iowa.
Now, you can relive the history of the largest land deal in US history at the Union Pacific Museum as part of their new "Nation Before the Railroad" exhibit that starts the weekend of May 9.
"It's setting that foundation of what was here before...to understand how the railroad has impacted American history, we have to understand American history before the railroad," communications manager Isabelle Kaeding told KMTV.
At the center of the display is an original copy of the 1803 Louisiana Purchase agreement. Owned by a private collection, this document is rarely visible to the public. Various pages will be swapped out during this exhibition.
Also on display is a map of the United States from 1806, a Thomas Jefferson peace medal from 1801, among others.
"We love to talk about pride of place at the museum, why does it matter where you live, and why you should care about where you live, and that local history," Kaeding said.
The artifacts will be on display at the museum through the summer. Museum goers can view them from Thursday to Saturday, 10 am to 6 pm.
